Book Review :: Two Can Keep a Secret, by Karen M McManus

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus
ISBN: 0141375655
on 2019-01-10
Genres: Mystery, Young Adult
Pages: 327
Goodreads

Ellery's never been to Echo Ridge, but she's heard all about it. It's where her aunt went missing at age sixteen, never to return. Where a Homecoming Queen's murder five years ago made national news. And where Ellery now has to live with a grandmother she barely knows, after her failed-actress mother lands in rehab. No one knows what happened to either girl, and Ellery's family is still haunted by their loss.Malcolm grew up in the shadow of the Homecoming Queen's death. His older brother was the prime suspect and left Echo Ridge in disgrace. His mother's remarriage vaulted her and Malcolm into Echo Ridge's upper crust, but their new status grows shaky when mysterious threats around town hint that a killer plans to strike again. No one has forgotten Malcolm's brother-and nobody trusts him when he suddenly returns to town.

Ellery and Malcolm both know it's hard to let go when you don't have closure. Then another girl disappears, and Ellery and Malcolm were the last people to see her alive. As they race to unravel what happened, they realize every secret has layers in Echo Ridge. The truth might be closer to home than either of them want to believe.
And somebody would kill to keep it hidden.

Last updated on 25 March 2024

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What is Two Can Keep a Secret, by Karen M McManus about?

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M McManus is about Ellery and Echo Ridge.

Echo Ridge is like something out of a classic American town painting. Ellery’s heard tons about it, but she’s never actually been there. Her aunt’s disappearance there at seventeen left a mark, and there was that tragic incident with the homecoming queen just five years ago that really put the town on the map. Now, Ellery’s packing her bags to live with a grandma she barely knows in this little town.

At first glance, Echo Ridge is all quaint and charming, but it’s got its fair share of mysteries lurking beneath the surface. Before Ellery even starts school, there’s already buzz about trouble brewing for homecoming, bringing back echoes of the past. And then another girl disappears.

Ellery’s no stranger to secrets, though. Her mom’s got a few, and her grandma’s no different. The longer she sticks around Echo Ridge, the more she realises everyone’s got something to hide. But here’s the thing about secrets—they have a way of slipping out, especially in a place like Echo Ridge where gossip spreads like wildfire. In a town where discretion is key, keeping your own secrets close seems like the smart move.

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My thoughts on Two Can Keep a Secret

Two Can Keep A Secret is much like McManus’ other books: full of intrigue, teenage drama, mystery, murder and a whole lot of feelings. But all those things are what make Karen M McManus’ books so enjoyable.

As Ellery and her brother arrive in Echo Ridge to live with their grandmother, she’s well aware of the traumatic history of the town. As the description reads, when Eller’s aunt was 17 years old, she went missing. And then again, 5 years ago, the homecoming queen was killed. Now, as Ellery starts at the local school, threats are made that rock the town … and Ellery’s suspicions about all three girls.

Being small-town America, most people know one another. Most people know a lot of business about their neighbours, and everyone knows about the death of the girl five years ago. But not everyone knows what Ellery knows.

Two Can Keep a Secret is a fast read – in fact, I read most of it in just one sitting – and doesn’t require too much hard thinking. The ideal Young Adult novel.

“There’s something deeply satisfying about confronting a monster and escaping unscathed. Real monsters aren’t anything like that. They don’t let go.”

While I didn’t enjoy Two Can Keep a Secret as much as One of Us is Lying or One of Us is Next, it was still a great read, and if you’ve enjoyed McManus’ stories in the past, then be sure to pick up Two Can Keep a Secret. 

Have you read this book? What did you think? Drop a comment below and let me know!